What Do You Hate? – The Hugh Hewitt Show

It was disturbing reading the headlines this morning.  Jews are hated in NYC.  Apparently, Gays are hated in Berlin.  Unsurprisingly, conservatives are hated in California.  We have passed so-called “hate crime laws” to try and get a handle on things, but I think we miss the point.  I am not sure the problem is hate directly.

The nice thing about computers is you can go through massive amounts of material rather rapidly.  So I searched the whole Bible for the word “hate.”  Turns out even God hates:

There are six things that the Lord hates,
Seven that are an abomination to Him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
A false witness who declares lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.

That would indicate to me that hatred is not the issue.  It seems to be a part of God’s created order.  The issue is where we aim our hatred and what we do with it.  The Psalmist tells us, “Hate evil, you who love the Lord,.”  Jesus said:

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you.

It starts to get confusing.  How do I hate a lie (Proverbs), but love the liar (Jesus)?  I think by looking to ourselves.  The apostle Paul said:

For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate.

If we truly examine ourselves we will find something wrong, something deep in us that makes us do things we do not want to do – something that makes us do evil.  What we have to remember is that is true for everyone else as well.  So when someone does evil, it is not them that we are to hate, it is that thing inside them that drives them to do it.  Admittedly, some people cling to that thing inside them so tightly that they cannot be separated from it, but such separation must be our initial response to evil and condemnation reserved only for when the separation proves impossible.  And even when condemnation proves necessary, we do not hate the one that will not separate, but we love others just as much and must protect them from the evil that is being grasped.

The best thing to do; however, is to monitor ourselves closely, to make sure we are constantly trying to separate ourselves from the evil that is inside of use, ever trying to take control.  That requires self-discipline, a well developed morality, and a lot of assistance from God.  It requires a church.

Good thing it is Sunday.